Music-turner.



No. 885,546. PATENTED APR. 21, 1908. I

A. J. THOMPSON.

MUSIC TURNER. APPLIGATION EILED'ocT. 2a, 1905. RENEWED FEB. 15, 1908.

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PATENTED APR. .21, 1908.

A. J. THOMPSON.

MUSIC TURNER.

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MUSIC-TURNER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 21, 1908.

Application filed October 28, 1905, Serial No. 284,846. Renewed February 15, 1908. Serial No. 416,107.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, ANDREW J. THoMPsoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at North Wilmington, in the county of MiddleseX and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Music- Turners, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to an improvement in music leaf turners of that class wherein the manual operation of a lever or like element will automatically grip and turn a sheet of music.

The main object of the present invention is the production of means whereby any number of leaves of music may be successively and automatically turned to present the opposite side to the player through the successive manual operation of a single lever.

Another object of the invention is the production of means by which the sheet of mu sic to be turned is automatically grasped immediately precedin the turning operation and automatically released at a predetermined point in its travel to the turned or new position.

Another object of the invention is the production of means whereby the usual function may be reversed and the apparatus adapted for returning a previously moved leaf to its original position.

The invention consists in certain details of construction which will be fully described in the following specification, reference being had particularly to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a partial front elevation of a musical instrument illustrating the application thereto of my improved leaf turner, Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail illustrating the operating parts of the leaf turner, the supporting frame for the music being artially broken away, Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the same, the frame and supporting plate being in section, Fig. 4 is an enlarged section on line 44 of Fig. 3, Fig. 5 is a section on line 55 of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a section on line (S 6 of Fig. 3. Fig. 7 is a section on line 77 of Fig. 4, with the respective shafts shown in elevation. Fig. 8 is a front elevation of the music supporting frame, Fig. 9 is a detail showing the sheet clamp.

Referring to the drawings my improved leaf turner comprises a base plate 1, which is in effect a comparatively narrow metallic strip provided with suitable projecting lips for the support of the movable parts. The base plate is removably supported on the instrument through the medium of a holder 2 arranged to be screwed or otherwise secured to the front board of the instrument and provided near each end with a projecting boss 3. The holder adjacent each boss is formed with a downwardly and rearwardly inclined socket 4, arranged to receive an appropriately shaped pin 5 projecting from the rear side of the base plate. The base plate is formed with a longitudinally centrally arranged slot 6, designed to receive a pin 7 projecting centrally from the holder, a set screw 8 engaging the free threaded end of the in after passage of the same through the s 0t 6, whereby the base plate may be securely locked to the holder.

Near the upper end the base plate is rearwardly inclined, as at 9, and provided near the upper end of the inclined portion with a forwardly projecting lip 10, on which is supported the music rack or frame. This frame comprises a strip 11 to which at the lower edge is hinged a shelf 12. A standard 13 is pivotally and centrally secured to the strip 11, through the medium of the pin 14, which pin also passes through the inclined portion 9 of the base plate near its upper edge, thereby securing the rack or frame to the base plate, it being understood that the shelf 12 rests upon the lip 10 of the base plate and that through the inclination of this portion of the base plate the music supported on the rack is held at the proper inclination for use. The standard 13 is maintained in operative position at right angles to the strip 11 of the shelf through the medium of brace rods 15 pivotally secured at their upper end to the cross bar secured to the free end of the standard and depending from said cross bar toward the respective ends of the strip 11, the lower ends of'said brace rods being formed with eyes 16 removably engaging pins 17 through the rear side of the strip 11. A music holding bar 18 depends from the upper end of the standard and seats at its lower end in a depression 19 formed in the shelf 12', said bar being of spring material to permit its being centrally sprung to insert and remove its free end into and out of the depression 19. A paper holding clip 20 is preferably slidably times.

engaged on the rod 18, being adapted to grip the rear edge of the bound music and maintain the same in fixed relation with the rack.

Near the lower end of the base plate is pivotally supported an operating lever 21, being centrally mounted with relation to the base plate and terminally projected beyond said base plate to permit operation hereinafter described. Immediately adjacent its pivotal point the lever is provided with a vertically extending arm 22 formed on its upper edge with a series of teeth 23 arranged in the form of an arcuate rack and adapted to intermesh with teeth 24 formed on a gear plate 25 also pivotally secured to the base plate. At the upper end the plate 25 is formed or provided with a rack 26, the teeth of which project at right angles from the plane of the plate. Immediately above the plate 25 the base plate is provided with two projecting lips 27 and 28, arranged in vertical alinement and spaced apart, in which is revolubly supported a shaft 29, the lower end of which projects below the lip 27 and is provided with a gear 30 to engage the rack 26. The lip 28 is enlarged to extend beyond the side edges of the base plate, thereby forming a support for the rack plates 31 and 32, the former of which is fixedly secured on the upper end of the shaft 29, while the latter is pivotally supported on the lip and arranged to be operated in the movement of the shaft through the medium of teeth 33 and 34 secured on the approximate ends of the plates 31 and 32 respectively and arranged to intermesh at all The free or remote end of the plates 31 and 32 are each formed with a gear rack, 35 and 36 respectively, which in the hereinafter described operation of the parts is designed to operate the gripping mechanism for the sheet of music.

Above the lip 28 the base plate is formed with laterally projecting bosses 37, arranged in alinement transverse the length of the base plate and adapted to support stub shafts 38 on each of which is fixed a gear 39, the arrangement and size of the parts being such that said gears 39 are at all times in mesh with the racks 35 and. 36 respectively, as clearly shown in Fig. 2.

A turning arm 40 projects laterally from a collar 41, fixed upon a shaft 42 revolubly supported in a lip 43 projecting from the inclined portion 9 of the base plate immediately beow the lip 10, said shaft finding a bearing at its upper end in the lip 10 and said lips 10 and 43 being spaced apart to permit proper operation of the collar 41 therebetween, and serving as upper and lower bearings for said collar. An elongated lip 44 projects from the base plate at about the junction of the inclined and vertical portions thereof, in which lip is revolubly supported a shaft 45, the lower end of which loosely seats in a depression .46 formed in the face or upper surface of the rack plate 31 the end of the shaft within the depression being formed with a radially projecting lug 47 which is of less circumferential length than the corresponding dimension of the recess, so that the rack plate 31, under the influence of the shaft 29 is capable of lim ited movement before the walls of the recess 46 contact with the lug 47 to operate the shaft 45. The upper end of the shaft 45 immediately above the lip 44 is provided with a plate 48, the rear portion of which is formed with a series of teeth 49 to intermesh and operate a gear 50 carried on the lower end of the shaft 42, While the forward end of said plate is provided with a series of depending teeth 51 arranged in arcuate form, as shown in Fig. 2. As the turning arm 40 is positioned immediately beneath the lip 10 and the latter provides a support for the shelf of the music rack it is evident that said arm projects longitudinally of and slightly beneath the shelf, it being understood that said arm 40 is fixedly secured to the collar 41 and turned about the shaft 42 as a center in the operation of the parts, thus causing the turning arm 40 to move from a position beneath the shelf 12 on one side of the base plate toward a similar position on the opposite side of the base plate.

The arm 40 terminates a short distance from the free end of the shelf, being reduced for a portion of its length as at 52 to dispense with unnecessary weight. Hangers 53 depend from the arm 40 and revolubly support a shaft 54 carrying at its inner end a gear 55 arranged to normally mesh with either of the gears 39, and on its outer end a gear 56 arranged to operate the gripping mechanism.

The gripping mechanism proper comprises a plate 57 pivotally supported on the arm 58 depending from the arm 40, the inner end of the plate 57 being in the form of a tooth segment 59 arranged to intermesh with a gear 56 and be operated thereby. The free or outer end of the plate 57 beyond its pivotal connection with the arm 58 is provided with duplicate gripping fingers 60, pivotally supported 011 the plate so as to separate or open in a direction at right angles to the movement of said plate, a leaf spring 61 being connected with the plate and with the fingers to normally maintain the latter in closed position. Near their lower or pivotal ends the adjacent faces of the fingers 60 are each formed with a recess 62, which when the fingers are together provide an opening between said fingers of a size to receive the extension 52 of the arm 50, the relative size of the opening and extension being such that when said extension is within the opening the gripping surfaces of the fingers beyond said opening are in contact, but relative movement of either the extension or fingers will serve to support said gripping surface, as is obvious. A friction finger 63 is pivotally supported at the outer end of the extension 52, the upper or free end of which is so constructed as to frictionally engage the surface of the adjacent sheet of music, the lower end of the finger being operatively c011- nected with the lower end of the plate 57 through the medium of the bar 64. A fixed friction finger 65 having an upper friction end 66 projects vertically from the outer end of the arm 40. The shelf 12 of the music rack is cut out or reduced. in width, as at 67, so as to permit the friction fingers 63 and 65 to contact with the upper sheet of music resting on the rack, the cut out portion 67 being, of course, duplicated on each side of the base plate of the device. F

The rack 51 carried. on the outer or free end of the plate 48 is so positioned relative to the gear 55 on shaft 54 that in the operation of the parts about the shaft 42 said gear and rack will intermesh, but as the teeth of the rack 51 depend from said rack and are positioned above the operative plane of the gear 55 the operation on the junction of these parts will be to reverse the travel of the gear from its normal movement incident to the operation of the gear 39.

A pin 68 projects laterally from the lip 43,

on which is pivotally supported a stop 69,.

the upper end of which is shaped to engage the arm 40, while the lower end depends into the path of a pin 70 carried on the gear 55, said pin being locked in rear of the stop 69 with relation to the direction of normal movement of gear 55, so that said gear is compelled to make practically a complete revolution before the pin 70 will engage the free end of the stop 69 and rock the same to disengage its upper end from the arm 40.

The operation of my improved leaf turner is as follows: Assuming the parts arranged and constructed as described with the gripping means and turning arm in the positions illustrated in Fig. 2, the operator desiring to turn a sheet of music depresses one end of the lever 21, rocking the arm 22 and through the medium of the rack plate 25 revolving the shaft 29. The initial movement of the shaft turns the rack plates 81 and 32 on their centers, and through the medium of the rack 36 and gear 39 revolving the gear 55 and thereby rocking the plate 57 of the gripping apparatus on its center. The rocking movement of this plate pushes the rod. 64 toward the free end of the arm, thus moving the upper end of the finger 63 toward the base plate. As the fingers 65 and 63 rest against the sheet of music, the movement of the latter finger just described displaces the lower edge of the sheet, that is causes it to bulge outward from the next lower sheet, causing said edge to stand clear from the reinaining sheets. As the bar 52 normally occupies a position between the fingers 60 of the gripping device above the opening 62, said fingers are maintained separated. As

'with the sheet, 1n an obvious manner.

the inner end of the plate 57 is moved downward by operation of the gear 56, the free ends of the gripping fingers in their separated position pass on each side of the projected edge of the sheetto be turned until said gripping plate has been sufficiently moved on its center to cause the bar 52 to move into the openings 62 between the fingers, thereby permitting the fingers to close upon the sheet under the operation of. the spring 61. The operation of the parts just described is gained by the movement of the shaft 29 and terminates just before the proximate wall of the recess 46 in the guide plate 31 contacts with the lug 47 pro- ,50 turns the shaft 42 and thereby turns the arm and gripping mechanisms carrying the sheet to reverse the sheet upon the rack. The movement of the arm continues until the gear 55 contacts with the rack 51 carried on the plate 48, which contact reverses the normal movement of said gear and withdraws the gripping fingers from engagem leglit e parts are so located, however, that the disengagement of the gripping fingers does not take place until the turned leaf has passed the vertical center of the rack so that on its release the leaf will fall by gravity to the new position.

It is obvious that the leaf turner may be operated as readily from one side as from the other, duplicate gears 39 being provided for this purpose.

The rack may be folded by springing the end of the arm 18 from the recess 19 disengaging the lower ends of the brace rods 15 from the pins 17, folding the parts to aline with the strip 11 and turning the shelf 12 upward upon said strip.

It is to be particularly noted that the function of the stop 69 has an important bearing on the operation of the structure in that the initial movement of the gear 55 in the operation described would tendto slightly displace the arm 40 from the normal position, were such stop not provided. As any movement of the arm 40 prior to the operation of the gripping mechanism would so disturb said mechanism as to interfere with its proper gripping action, it is evident that the stop 69 is a material part of the apparatus.

Having thus described the invention What is claimed as new, is

1. A leaf turner comprising a base plate, a music rack supported thereby, a turning arm revolubly supported on the base plate,

a sheet edge displacing means carried by the arm, a gripping means carried by the arm, and mechanism supported on the base plate for operating in succession the displacing means, the gripping means, and the arm.

2. A leaf turner comprising a base plate, a music rack supported thereby, a turning arm revolubly supported on the base plate, a sheet edge displacing means carried by-the arm, a gripping means carried by the arm, manually operable mechanism for positively actuating in succession the displacing means, gripping means, and turning arm.

3. A leaf turner comprising a support, an arm movably mounted with relation to the support, gripping means carried by' the arm, a stop carried on the support and adapted to normally prevent movement of the arm, means for causing successive operation of the gripping means and arm, and means carried by the arm for disengaging the stop therefrom.

4. A leaf turner comprising a support, an arm movably mounted with relation to the support, gripping means carried by the arm, a stop carried on the support and adapted to normally prevent movement of thearm, means for causing successive operation of the gripping means and arm, and means carried by the arm for disengaging the stop therefrom subsequent to the operation of the gripping means.

5. A leaf turner comprising a base plate, a music rack carried thereby an arm revolubly mounted 011 the base plate, a shaft carried by said arm, means for o erating said shaft, a gripping device pivotal y connected to the arm, means intermediate said device and the shaft for operating the former in the movement of the latter, and a sheet edge displacer carried by the arm and operated in the movement of the gripping means.

6. A leaf turner comprising a base plate, a music rack su ported thereby, a shaft mounted in said base plate and carrying a turning arm, a secondshaft mounted in the base plate, connections between the first mentioned shaft and the second shaft for operating the first shaft, a gripping means carried by the arm, a power shaft carried by the base plate, and means carried by said power shaft for initially operating the gripping means in the movement of said power shaft and subsequently operating the arm.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ANDREW J. THOMPSON. Witnesses:

CLARENCE E. WELLS, LIMUND H. SMITH. 

